


On Your Side

by theauthor2010



Category: Glee
Genre: Character Study, Child Abuse, Friendship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-10
Updated: 2012-07-09
Packaged: 2017-11-03 09:24:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 12,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/379850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthor2010/pseuds/theauthor2010
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine never expected to get a phone call from a hurt, desperate Sebastian; he also never imagined that the condition of Sebastian's life could bring them so close together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Blaine looked down at his cell phone, frowning at the display of the ringing device. It was after eight at night and the phone call was from Sebastian Smythe. There was absolutely no reason for Sebastian to be calling him. He had made it clear after the slushie incident that they were no longer friends. He had actually meant to delete Sebastian's contact from the phone, but the idea had completely slipped his mind.

He almost set his phone back down and ignored it when something compelled him to answer. He hit the answer button, held the phone to his ear and suppressed a groan. "Sebastian?" he asked curiously. "What is it?"

The voice that came out was quiet, dazed. It hardly sounded like Sebastian and for a moment Blaine wondered if the other's phone had been stolen. "Blaine…" Sebastian whispered in a voice that could only be described as confused. "Blaine…it's Sebastian…I…help…I need your help. Please."

"Where are you Sebastian?" Blaine asked, not understanding much of what Sebastian was saying. He was babbling under his breath, so low that Blaine couldn't make out many of the words. The other moaned out "hurts" and "please" in several combinations. "Sebastian? Talk to me."

"There's a drugstore…" Sebastian whispered. "It's…by my house…I wanted to drive but can't…"

Blaine tried his best to sort out the information that he was given. Sebastian had told him once that he didn't live that far from Dalton. "Are you talking about Craig's Drugs?" he asked softly. That was the only drug store he could think of. He waited for an answer, an answer that seemed to take a long time for Sebastian to formulate.

"Yeah…says Craig…" Sebastian let out something that was so close to a whimper. It was obvious that he was crying, something that disturbed Blaine greatly. He was most definitely crying.

"I'm coming. Stay where you are."

Blaine got in his car and drove to the area Sebastian implied through his incoherent rambling. He didn't know what was going on but he knew that he needed to hurry. Sebastian needed him and he had to hurry. It didn't take him long to get there, thankfully, because the streets were relatively quiet at night. He stopped, confused, not knowing where Sebastian was. He prayed that Sebastian hadn't given him the wrong location in his state of confusion.

He saw a figure in the alleyway next to the drug store. He couldn't really tell if it was Sebastian or not and he knew that approaching dark figures in alleyways was a surefire way to get himself murdered, but he stopped his car and got out. There were several lights shining in the alleyway so he could see if he got a little closer. He took a few tentative, nervous steps.

In the better light he could see the full extent of the other boy's injuries. He gasped in horror. Sebastian's face was bruised, dark heavy bruises around his eye and jawbone. As he stepped a bit closer he saw what looked like finger marks on the boy's throat. His left eye was pretty much swollen shut. There was blood too. It looked like there was a split at the corner of his lip and blood running down his face from the left. "Sebastian!" he yelled, absolutely terrified as he started rushing to the boy. When he got directly to his side, he could see that Sebastian was cradling his left arm protectively and the wrist was at an angle. It was broken, wasn't it? Oh god. "Sebastian, what the hell happened?" he asked, drawing the boy close with two hands and steering him toward the car.

Sebastian didn't answer him. The boy just shook his head. Tears slipped down his cheeks and mingled with the blood that seemed to be dripping from his head. Blaine got him to the car and inside and then grabbed an old jacket from the back of the car, pressing it to his head. "I'm going to drive you to the hospital," he explained, not sure if Sebastian could even hear him. The boy wasn't responding to any of his words or touches or questions. What the hell had happened to Sebastian?

"Stay with me," he said as he started to drive toward the hospital. The last thing he wanted was Sebastian dying on him because he let him slip under. The thought terrified Blaine to death but he pushed it aside to keep going. He had to keep going.

The whole ride was silent. Well, it was silent except for Sebastian's quiet whimpers of pain. Blaine tried once to engage him, asking, "Sebastian, what happened?" but Sebastian just shook his head and cowered a little bit more. It was like Blaine was dealing with a completely different creature.

Blaine was so relieved when they finally approached the hospital. He pulled his car into the emergency parking lot and took Sebastian by the hand, pulling him close and eventually half supporting his body as they rushed to the front of the building. Sebastian was slipping under, eyes half closed and Blaine focused on doing the best that he could to help his not-really friend out.

They immediately took Sebastian back because of all of the blood, but Blaine was the one that they questioned. He didn't have that many answers for them, unfortunately. "He's my friend," he said, even though just awhile earlier he had declared in his mind that Sebastian never would be his friend. "He called me and he sounded out of it, distressed. He said that he was hurt. I was worried about him so I found him and he was…like he is. I don't know what happened because he won't tell me." He took a deep breath before speaking again. "I've never seen him this broken up before. I don't understand it at all."

After he attempted to give them basic information about Sebastian, he was left outside in the waiting room. He didn't leave. He didn't know the contact information for Sebastian's family, anyone who might be able to help him. He waited there and stared at his own cell phone. Thanks to his family being, well his family…, they wouldn't worry about him being gone. Blaine felt pretty helpless. For a few moments he debated calling Kurt but then decided against it immediately. Kurt wouldn't understand, even if Sebastian was badly hurt.

It wasn't until he'd been in the waiting room for two hours then did a woman come in. "Your friend is asking for you," she said in a sweet, caring voice. Blaine immediately rushed after her to Sebastian, hoping for some answers.


	2. Chapter 2

Sebastian was alone in the partitioned off area, sitting on the bed. His wrist was casted in a pale green. He was staring into space, looking at the white wall as if there was something interesting about it. He saw Blaine, definitely, but it took a moment for him to gather himself up and acknowledge that Blaine had arrived. "This cast is going to completely clash with my Dalton uniform," he said dryly, shaking his head and finally meeting Blaine's eyes.   
Blaine approached the side of the bed, desperate to find out what happened to Sebastian. "Sebastian, I was worried," he said tensely. "I'm so glad that you're alright. When I found you like that…what happened?" He couldn't help the fact that his tone of voice was desperate. He was really worried about him.   
"I want to leave the hospital," Sebastian said, completely ignoring the question. "I turned eighteen a month ago so I can discharge myself."   
"Sebastian, I asked you-"   
Sebastian cut him off by flagging down an orderly who passed their partition. "Excuse me," he said. "I want to know when I can leave. I want to discharge myself. As you can see I'm perfectly fine, in spite of some minor injury." Sebastian was talking way too formally, stiffly. Blaine didn't think that his insistence he was alright was going to fly for any of the hospital staff, but then again they had too many patients waiting.   
"I'll go get hold of someone as soon as I can," the man said in an equally tense voice. 

Blaine looked at Sebastian again once he had him alone for another second. "Sebastian, what happened?" he asked his voice very loud and intense. He was trying to get through to Sebastian, who seemed even more distant than usual. He wasn't really sure what he could do to help him, although he knew that he had to try. "Who did this to you? Someone did this to you, right? I mean of course they did, injuries like this just don't spontaneously happen…" 

He was rambling to himself, trying to focus his thoughts and he knew he sounded ridiculous. Sebastian, however, remained evasive. "It doesn't matter though Blaine," he said softly. "Thanks for helping me out of that situation though, dude, I didn't know who else I could have called. I don't think anyone else would have helped me." 

"Someone would have come," Blaine said, mostly in an effort to keep the conversation going. He was afraid that if they didn't keep talking then Sebastian would shut himself in entirely. "You've got friends, probably friends who lived a little bit closer. It's lucky that I found you, you weren't exactly together enough to give good directions." He laughed shallowly, even though there was nothing funny about what he was saying. 

"I don't," Sebastian said bluntly and Blaine couldn't deny the harshness there. Sebastian was being too open, too vulnerable and he was sure the pain medication had something to do with it. "Don't worry about it though, Blaine." 

Blaine tried to keep the conversation going. "What are you going to do when they discharge you?" Blaine asked. "Can I call your parents to come pick you up or something?" He could take Sebastian home, of course, but someone else could also help if Sebastian didn't want Blaine to, or something.

Sebastian laughed, bitterly. Blaine paused and took a step back, looking into Sebastian's slightly glossy eyes. It was in that moment that it hit him. Sebastian hadn't been in some dramatic street fight or any of the scenarios Blaine had come up with while he was sitting in the waiting room. Sebastian had been injured at home. He focused away from Sebastian's intense eyes to the split lip, the bruises, and the broken wrist. It all came together and Blaine realized it. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. 

"Sebastian," he said hesitantly, even though it was obvious because of the moment that was going on between them. "Did someone at home do this to you?" He was afraid to know the answer. There were a million PSAs and how-to's on what to do when a friend was being abused, but he had never imagined anything like this actually happening to him. "I'm serious, Sebastian, did…" 

He stopped as Sebastian gave a slight incline of his head. It was like there was a spell between them and Sebastian couldn't deny him anymore. Blaine couldn't believe it and the truth was like a wave of nausea in his chest. It hurt and it made him feel like he was going to be physically sick. He took a breath, inhaling before letting it out. Sebastian gave Blaine a small shrug and then made a request that was small, but probably huge for the other boy. 

"Blaine, can I stay at your place – just for tonight?" 

Blaine nodded immediately, knowing that nobody was going to be home. It would be a safe, quiet place for Sebastian to get some rest. It would give them both time to regroup and think about what to do next. What could they do next? Blaine wasn't sure at all. "Of course you can," he said with a little more enthusiasm than was needed for the situation. "Let's just wait until you get discharged and go from there." 

Blaine kept at Sebastian's side until Sebastian got the okay to go home. It was against his doctor's wishes and the man who saw Sebastian kept trying to convince him to stay for a night of observation. He talked about lacerations and head injuries while Sebastian kept stubbornly shaking his head from side to side. 

"Are you sure you want to leave?" Blaine asked, reaching out and touching Sebastian's shoulder. It didn't really matter that he and Sebastian weren't friends. He was a tender person, especially when someone was hurt. "I mean, it might be best if you spend the night at the hospital. You were bleeding from your head injury pretty hard." 

"I want to go, now." 

Blaine walked with Sebastian out to the car, supporting him because Sebastian just seemed groggy, body hanging slightly. He was strong, determined but Blaine couldn't help worry that Sebastian had some hidden head injury that was going to kill him in the night. Blaine was just a paranoid worrywart like that. He was glad that his family wasn't home. He was glad that he could just take Sebastian home, get him some rest and hope for the best. 

"You're a great guy," Sebastian slurred, the affects of the pain medication made quite obvious. "Thank you for helping me Blainers. I owe you one." 

Blaine couldn't respond, just sitting Sebastian down in the passenger seat of his car. All of a sudden he was responsible for a bandaged, bruised and slurring abused teenager and he was scared.


	3. Chapter 3

Only a few moments after Blaine started driving home, Sebastian fell asleep. Blaine kept glancing out of the corner of his eye to see the sleeping boy leaning against the side of the door. Sebastian looked so broken lying there, bruises covering his jaw, up to his eye. He also looked so vulnerable that it cracked Blaine's heart into about a million pieces. He could not believe that someone at home was actually abusing him. That didn't make sense. Sure, his parents weren't always around, but Blaine lived in a world where parents did not hit their children. He shuddered and kept driving.

Sebastian jerked awake the second that he stopped his car in front of the house. Sebastian looked around, like he didn't know where he was and then calmed when he assessed the situation and saw Blaine in front of him. He took a deep breath and his words came out in a shaky, desperate tone. "Are we there?" he asked softly. When Blaine nodded, a relieved expression flooded his face. 

Sebastian stumbled when he and Blaine got out of the car. Blaine immediately moved to his side and put an arm around him, supporting him on the way inside. He took him to the couch and gently coaxed him to lie down. "I'm going to go make the guest bed," he said. "I'll be right back." He then left Sebastian and went to fix things up for Sebastian. His family wasn't exactly wealthy, but they were well-off and did have plenty of space. He changed the blankets on the bed, straightening up the extra room that was used as a guest room. 

When he returned, Sebastian was nodding off yet again. "Bed's ready," Blaine said in a near whisper. When Sebastian turned in response, he noticed just how swollen the area under his left eye was. He figured that he'd get Sebastian some ice before he let the other teenager fall asleep. Sebastian got up, reluctantly, with a whine that would have been cute if not for the situation. "Get in bed, okay? I'm gonna get some ice and then we can do something about your eye, then, well, you can go to sleep."

He went and grabbed an ice pack wrapped in a washcloth and by the time he returned Sebastian was already half under the covers, looking at Blaine with glossy, but amused eyes. "You know that you're too much of a nice guy, right?" Sebastian asked him with a childish grin. It was a side of him he'd never seen before, a side that had definitely come out with the aid of drugs. "I really admire that, but nice guys always get hurt. I don't want you to get hurt Blaine." 

"Don't worry about me," he said, holding the icepack to Sebastian's cheek, using the boy's hand to press it up and secure it there. "My room is just down the hall. Wake me up if you need absolutely anything…well, I mean if I'm asleep. You know. Goodnight Sebastian." He was pretty sure that he wouldn't be sleeping. He quickly made his way back to his room, away from the confusing situation. 

Blaine sat in his room after that, on the end of his bed, just trying to figure out what to do. It was an uncomfortable situation and one that was a little more complex than it should be. Of course, he knew that Sebastian's parents had to be reported for abuse, but how did he even get there? Sebastian hadn't given him any details. He hadn't even let him know who was abusing him. It also seemed like getting through to Sebastian would be a very difficult task. 

Panic rose in his chest as he thought about all of the effort that was going to go into this. Obviously he wouldn't leave Sebastian alone, without any support, but he wasn't sure that he was good enough to offer support to someone who was being so badly hurt. It was such a serious situation and a lot bigger than stupid Blaine Anderson.

He honestly wished that he could call Kurt. Kurt was a lot better in a crisis than he was and was much better at dealing with difficult situations. He was calm, level-headed and even asking his boyfriend for a little advice would help, but the fact of the matter was that he couldn't, for many reasons. The most important reason was because this was private and he wasn't going to share anything about Sebastian with Kurt without the other boy's permission. The second part was even though Kurt was a loving, forgiving person, he hated Sebastian. Sebastian didn't deserve the stress and Kurt didn't deserve to be put in that situation. No, Blaine had to do this on his own.

Blaine lay down on the bed and tried to sleep for awhile, but found that to be impossible. He had too much on his mind, so he booted up his laptop and searched for resources for abused children and teenagers. He had to find something for Sebastian. He needed to show Sebastian that there were options. He browsed quietly, finding a few numbers and websites that he immediately jotted down, but he didn't know where to begin. He was far too overwhelmed. 

He wasn't exactly sure when he passed out, but he eventually did. His laptop was on his side and Blaine had turned slightly. When he woke up it was eight in the morning and he was in a very, very awkward position. He stretched and felt his neck crack. It was a very unpleasant sensation. He yawned, stretched and hoisted himself up. He had to get to Sebastian. He had to see Sebastian and talk to Sebastian. 

He lightly knocked on the guest room door, but got no response. He stood there for a moment before deciding to push it open. The situation he was in definitely didn't come with a set of guidelines. He was helpless and didn't know what to do at all. He found Sebastian sitting on the end of the bed, staring at his face in the bedside mirror. He was analyzing his own face with a sad, forlorn expression. He tilted his head to the side, conducting a careful examination. His eyes were wet and nearly teary. Blaine certainly had no idea how to handle this one. 

"Hi Sebastian."


	4. Chapter 4

Sebastian reluctantly pulled his gaze away from his own reflection. "Oh, Blaine, hi," he mumbled under his breath. He obviously wasn't sure what to say to Blaine. He looked up at him sheepishly and Blaine was pretty sure that was the most vulnerable he had seen the other boy in his entire life. "I was just…" Sebastian trailed off, uncertainly. Blaine didn't blame him for not knowing what to say. 

Blaine tentatively reached out to touch his face. Sebastian's eye was swollen. He stroked his fingers over the skin and watched as Sebastian flinched. Blaine then pulled away, because that was way too intimate of a gesture. He didn't know his boundaries, obviously, so instead of immediately asking Sebastian questions, he stated a matter of fact. "You need more ice for your eye and some food." 

"Food?" Sebastian asked him confused. He looked into Blaine's eyes, but didn't speak. It was weird seeing Sebastian so close to something that resembled speechlessness. 

"You need to eat before you can take your pain medication," he said. "I'll make breakfast. You should come sit with me while I do, though." 

To Blaine's surprise, Sebastian was completely complacent. He followed Blaine into the kitchen and sat at the countertop bar. He watched as Blaine made the easiest breakfast he could think of (instant oatmeal, toast and more) with a saddened expression. Blaine wished that he could talk to Sebastian, but everything that came to the top of his mind sounded wrong. He frowned as he struggled with the words. "How are you feeling Sebastian?" he finally asked the other boy. It seemed to be all he could offer in the form of words. 

Sebastian looked at Blaine and was infused with a little bit of the Sebastian he knew. "I've been better, Blaine," he said with a sharp expression and a smile. "I do appreciate what you did for me. It most certainly showed what kind of man you are. You're beyond sweet, hot stuff." Sebastian was trying too hard, however, to act like things were normal. It kind of made Blaine feel sick to his stomach. 

"It's no big deal," he told Sebastian awkwardly. "We're friends and you needed help. That's how it works…"

"You don't have to pretend we're friends," Sebastian said, his tone dejected and dull but still containing that snarky bite that he expected from Sebastian. He seemed to know just how fake he sounded and it was just sad. 

"We are," Blaine stated, despite the fact that just days earlier he had doubted the fact himself. He knew that Sebastian needed someone to be there for him. He needed to hear that he had a friend who was on his side. "Sebastian, I hate to ask you something that is probably really, really painful, but have you ever told anyone about what's happening to you at home?" 

"No," Sebastian said sharply, snapping to attention. "No, because it's never been necessary." 

Blaine didn't understand what that meant. Of course, it was necessary. Sebastian was being abused and someone had to help him. "Sebastian, someone needs to come in and help you out." 

"It's not that bad," Sebastian said, and when Blaine gave him a pointed look, added more. "This time was a rare exception, Blaine. I didn't shut my mouth when I should have." 

"You can't blame yourself," Blaine managed. "It doesn't matter how bad it is or isn't. You have to go to the police." 

"No." Sebastian's voice was sharp and made Blaine drop the spoon in his hand. "Blaine, you cannot go to anyone about this. I'm eighteen next year and I live at Dalton. I just need to be more careful about pissing off the wrong person." 

"Sebastian, we can't keep quiet about this." 

Sebastian gave him a glare that quieted Blaine, at least for the time being. He stopped fussing about Sebastian and served him breakfast. He could at least get some food in him and make sure that he took his pain meds. He looked terrible. Sebastian ate for awhile in silence, only looking at Blaine once in awhile with his sharp yet confused eyes. The first time that he managed to speak, it was to ask a question that made Blaine even more uncomfortable."Why isn't anyone else around?" he asked softly. 

Blaine shrugged a little bit at that."I never really know where my parents are half the time," he admitted. "My father lives for his work and my mother always has…something, going on." Blaine knew that her work duties weren't nearly time consuming as his father's, but she was never at home either. "I guess you can say that they're a little distant, but I don't really mind." It was a lie; he did mind, but who was going to complain about their parents to a friend who was being abused? 

"Sorry," Sebastian murmured before taking a drink of his orange juice. "Do you think that you could drive me back to Dalton? I know it's Sunday but we have a Warbler's practice tonight and it wouldn't be appropriate for the captain to miss the fun." 

"Um, sure," Blaine murmured. 

For awhile they just talked about casual things. Sebastian told him about the Warblers, and Blaine realized that Sebastian really hadn't gained the close Warbler friendships that he had. God, he still missed being away from Dalton. He could always count on Wes to listen when he was feeling insecure, or Trent to talk to when he needed someone to cheer him up. He could always count on Jeff to do something absolutely dorky with him and on and on. Those guys were such good friends. Why didn't Sebastian have them in the same capacity? 

After he made sure Sebastian had taken his meds and was as well taken care of as he could be, he took him back to Dalton. "Sebastian, you really need to tell someone," he said, as he pulled up in the drop-off area behind the school. 

Sebastian just got out of the car and gave him a smile, brushing him off completely. Blaine wasn't sure what to do. He knew he had to tell someone and be a good friend, help Sebastian get through this, but he wasn't sure how to do that. He was so completely lost and it wasn't getting any easier.


	5. Chapter 5

During practice, Blaine couldn't help continue to talk to Sebastian through text messages. He knew he was badgering the boy, but really, Sebastian had to get help. He needed to be helped out of this and Blaine Anderson was not the resource he needed. He needed to get police involved. He needed to tell more people. He needed to get out of the horrible situation that he was in. The whole thing made him sick. 

His badgering was annoying Sebastian if the "shut up Blaine," text meant anything. Blaine was just so exhausted and he wanted to help Sebastian out. He wasn't trying to make him feel bad or anything. He knew, however, that he was annoying Sebastian so he switched the topic to normal conversation and they kept texting all through Glee club rehearsal. 

"Who on earth are you texting?" Kurt whispered to him as Rachel performed yet another dramatic solo for the group. 

Blaine deleted the text immediately. "Nick," he said. "I've been missing the Warblers lately, like crazy." 

Kurt then wrapped his arm around Blaine and cuddled close, trying to pretend that he was focusing on Rachel. Blaine kind of felt like dirt, but he knew that there was no way Kurt would understand that he was trying to talk Sebastian into something important for him. His worry for Sebastian grew over the course of practice. He couldn't help himself. He was obsessed, because he needed to help Sebastian and there he was sitting and doing nothing.

"Wanna grab some coffee or something?" Kurt asked, when practice finally ended. 

Blaine hesitated for a moment. He could not be a good, attentive boyfriend when he had so much on his mind. Going out with Kurt would be absolutely disastrous. "I've got a few things to do at home," he said, tilting his head to the side. "I'll see you really soon though." He leaned over and kissed Kurt lightly before taking off for Westerville.

When he arrived at Dalton, he got a guest past and went to look for Sebastian. Instead of Sebastian, however, he ran into Nick. He hugged the Warbler, glad to see his friend. "Where's Sebastian?" he asked. "I helped him out last night after his…um, accident." He was pretty sure Sebastian would have painted it as an accident. "I wanted to see how he was doing." 

Nick nodded. "He's in his room, lying down I think," he said. "It's up in the dorms, room 301." 

Blaine knocked lightly and then pushed open the door to room 301, feeling an incredible wave of nostalgia wash over him. He missed this so much. Dalton had once been his home. It felt wrong to feel so distanced from it. He realized, two seconds too late, that he shouldn't have barged in when Sebastian sat up in bed and glared at him. "Blaine, what the hell are you doing here?" he asked. "Also, didn't anyone ever teach you to knock?" 

Blaine at least had the dignity to bow his head at that, embarrassed. For a moment, being back at Dalton reminded him of how he'd burst into Wes or Nick or…really anyone's dorm room with some great idea that he just had. Most people expected you to at least announce your presence before you burst into their bedroom. Who knows what Sebastian could have been doing? "Sorry," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "I wanted to see how you were doing." 

"Since yesterday," Sebastian mumbled, a slightly amused smile on his face, "I am fine. I'm sore and tired, but I am completely and utterly fine." 

Blaine took a tentative step towards Sebastian. He took the other boy's hand in his. Sebastian flinched at the touch but didn't make him let go. "I've been thinking about it," he said, "and I can't just sit by while you're not getting some kind of help."

Sebastian yanked his hand away at that. He sat up in bed, grumbling under his breath. "Blaine, you can leave if you're gonna keep that crap up." 

"Sebastian…"

"No, Blaine, stop it. I don't want you worrying your pretty little head off over me," Sebastian said, glaring at Blaine hard. "I am completely fine. I know that it might not seem like it, but I am. I was actually getting some rest and you know – taking care of myself – before you showed up."

They went back and forth for awhile until Sebastian grabbed Blaine by the shoulder and stared him in the eye. His glare was so intense that it made Blaine hold his breath for a second. "Telling someone about what's been going on in my house for years is absolutely, positively useless." 

He softened at that. "Sebastian… I…I don't understand what you mean by that." How could it be useless when it would definitely get Sebastian to a safe place and get him the help he needed. 

The boy sighed heavily and shook his head. "My dad has me painted as this unstable, messed up teenager," he said seriously. "He'd absolutely destroy me if I so much as mentioned that he was…like he was. I would have little to no chance at a future. He's State Attorney, of course, and there's the fact of the matter that money talks. So as much as I agree with the logic of your assessment, Blaine, I have logic of my own to deal with. Do you understand now?" 

Blaine swallowed and nodded. "I guess I do…"

Sebastian sighed and shook his head, running his hand through his hair. "I'm tired Blaine," he admitted softly. "I'm tired of fighting and worrying, but at least it's just me that it's being taken out on. He's never abused my mom. I have no siblings. It's…all okay. Just another year." He flashed Blaine a smile that was so forced it left Blaine brokenhearted. "He'll hurt me a hell of a lot worse if I don't just smile and keep on going…"


	6. Chapter 6

In the wake of what Sebastian told him about his family, Blaine took several trips to Dalton. It was for Sebastian, but it was also really good for Blaine himself. He felt like he was back with his family while he was making Sebastian feel better. It was probably bad, considering he was the one who made the choice to go to McKinley, but he really wanted to go back to Dalton. He had never felt more like himself then when he was with those guys. 

Kurt quickly picked up on his impromptu trips to Dalton. "Why do you keep going there?" Kurt asked. "I mean, I get that your friends are there but they're becoming pretty constant, according to Jeff." Kurt and Jeff were still pretty good friends, even after Kurt returned to McKinley. 

"I've been helping Trent with some stuff," he said lying because it would hurt Kurt way too much to know it was Sebastian he'd been looking after. Even with what Sebastian was going through, he wasn't sure Kurt would get it. 

"See, I called Jeff and ended up talking to him, Trent and a couple of the Warblers. They're all under the impression that you're helping Sebastian with something." Kurt's tone was biting, accusatory and yet Blaine couldn't bring himself to tell Kurt anything about Sebastian's predicament. It was far too much for him to deal with. 

"Kurt, he's just going through some really difficult stuff." 

"I told you not to talk to him," Kurt said shrilly. "Have you forgotten the fact that he nearly blinded you? I mean seriously, Blaine…"

"Kurt, it's totally innocent," he said softly. "Yes, Sebastian did what he did to me, but he's a good guy deep down. He's having personal trouble…" Blaine did something very immature then. He panicked and rushed out of the situation. It was cowardly and probably made him look a lot guiltier of foul play than he was, but it was all he could do under the pressure Kurt put on him. He could not handle pressure of that kind. 

The pressure got worse the next day when Blaine slunk into glee rehearsal, still guilty and got absolutely wailed on by his so-called friends. Santana walked up to him and crossed her arms, staring Blaine down with a look that was either positively frightening or hilarious. He couldn't decide which one it fell under. "What the hell do you think you're doing talking to that creeper?" she asked. "He nearly blinded you, if you haven't forgotten." 

"I haven't forgotten," Blaine said, gaining some ground and trying to defend against her. "I would have had evidence of what he did to me if not for Kurt giving it up. Anyway, that's beside the point Santana. I can talk to who I want to. I can help out a friend." 

"That boy is not your friend." 

"He's not a friend to any of us," Rachel said, joining in on the assault. "Have you forgotten what he's capable of Blaine?" 

"If we find out you're cheating on Hummel, you're dead, Hobbit," Santana said pointedly. Puck who was a few chairs behind her nodded in agreement. 

Blaine was disgusted by them. They were honestly being stupid over something completely innocent. He quickly turned and walked out of the choir room, unable to talk to any of them. They were so stupid. He couldn't take the condemning, judging looks on their stupid faces. He walked into the hallway to hear footsteps behind him. If one of them had the audacity to follow, he was going to flip out. "What the hell is wrong with you guys?" he yelled, only to find a disturbed Mike Chang standing behind him.

"Blaine, dude, it's okay," Mike said, putting a hand on Blaine's shoulder. "I'm totally on your side here. What Rachel and Santana did was stupid. Yeah, I heard Kurt complaining too, but he's incredibly biased." 

"Oh…" Blaine said. He should have known that Mike was always on his side. They had become good friends since Blaine enrolled at McKinley. "Sorry Mike." 

Mike led him around the corner to an empty classroom, giving them total privacy. "Are you okay dude?" he asked. "It sounds like there's some serious stuff going on with Sebastian. Is he…erm, okay?" Mike seemed awkward but at least he was trying to understand. Blaine had to seriously appreciate that effort, since being calm and logical seemed to be lost on all of McKinley's glee club.

"I'm fine and so is Sebastian," Blaine said, even though he doubted Sebastian was fine. "He's just going through some stuff at home and I'm helping him take care of it. I didn't really let Kurt in because, well, Kurt would…"

"Massively overreact," Mike agreed. "It's good that you're helping him even though you have no reason to. I think that shows a lot about you. You're…you're a good person Blaine and I totally trust your judgment." 

Blaine clasped Mike's hand and pulled him into a quick "guy hug." It was nice to have guys on his side. 

As that episode totally ended, Blaine decided that he had to get Sebastian some help. Maybe with his father and the situation, going to the police wasn't the first solution. It was so wrong to let the man get away with what he was doing to his son, but there were other more pressing issues than making Sebastian's father pay for the abuse. First, Blaine had to make sure that Sebastian had a safe place to stay when he wasn't protected by Dalton. He had to make sure that his friend had a safe place to stay and could avoid instances of abuse. 

He could do that. He had that power in his hands.


	7. Chapter 7

It was difficult for Blaine to ask his mother's permission. He ruled out the idea of asking his father, because the man was never anywhere near available. His mother, however, was easier to work with. Blaine told her that Sebastian was a very good friend who was dealing with a rough time. He told her that Sebastian was absolutely the epitome of class. He was a Dalton student with perfect grades, captain of the Warblers, blah blah blah. It worked pretty well and she agreed that yes he could, considering that it would only be a few days a week tops. 

He then went to see Sebastian, wondering how the boy would take it. He found Sebastian at Dalton (yes, Blaine had been taking so many trips that way he may as well have lived there) and practically rushed up to him. "Sebastian," he said quickly. 

Sebastian smiled and raised his casted arm, taking a step back. "What's got you acting all hyperactive puppy today Blaine?" he asked with a slightly amused smile. Blaine had to admit that Sebastian's smile was really adorable when it was genuine. 

"When you're not at Dalton, you can stay with me," Blaine said eager to give Sebastian the good news. "I talked to my mom and painted you as the stereotypical Dalton kid. Good breeding, good manners. I didn't tell her anything incriminating. I just told her that my friend needed a place to stay and since we have like three extra bedrooms that are unused…well we can do that." Blaine still thought that getting some legal help and bringing justice to the horrible people who had hurt Sebastian so much was the best option, but at the same time he wanted his friend free from his father's wrath. He wanted Sebastian to be in a safe place nad that was the immediately accessible option.

Sebastian looked at him and Blaine could see the shock evident in his eyes. "Blaine, you don't have to treat me like a charity case," he said. "Plus, I don't live at home that often. Some weekends, holidays…" 

"And those are perfect times for you to come live with me," Blaine said eagerly. "I promise that you're not a charity case at all."   
Sebastian sighed. "If it'll appease the puppy," he said. 

"Awesome," Blaine said. "Did you want to get coffee to celebrate?" 

Sebastian rolled his eyes playfully. "Sure Blaine," he said. "We have to go to the Lima Bean, though. As much as your boyfriend believes that I live there, it's a simple fact that they put something in their coffee to make it so damned addicting." 

On the drive back to Lima, Blaine and Sebastian chatted rather casually. Blaine asked Sebastian about his injuries and fussed over them. Sebastian rolled his eyes but Blaine knew that the Warbler loved the attention that he was being given. They arrived at the Lima Bean and both ordered what they considered to be their usual. It was a real celebration until Kurt showed up. Blaine hated to adatimit it, because it made him a crappy boyfriend, but he wasn't in the mood to see his boyfriend. Kurt was never going to be okay with this. 

"Blaine Anderson, what the HELL is going on?" Kurt asked. Tina and Brittany, who were with him, exchanged a sideways glance of absolute terror. Blaine almost wanted to hide away himself. "What are you doing here with him? I told you again and again that it's not okay. I told you again and again that I'm not okay with it. Are you like…are you cheating on me or something? You talk to Sebastian all the time. You…you…he's here…" Kurt was panicking. Blaine knew the signs. He got up and touched the boy on the arm. 

"Sweetheart," he said. "I'm not."

Sebastian stood up, looking Kurt in the eye. "Kurt," he said, in a voice that was unusually soft on Sebastian. "Blaine's been helping me through a rough time. He's been a friend. He doesn't need his mother hen of a boyfriend pecking his eyes out."

"I told you that you shouldn't be…even talking to him. I give up." 

Kurt stormed off with a flounce that was dramatic and perfectly in character. Sebastian gave a little chuckle and though it may have seemed callous, Blaine wanted to laugh too. His life had become such a weird joke. "We really shouldn't go to this place for coffee," Blaine said with a dull tone of voice. "It always seems to give us a hard time…"

"I'm sorry," Sebastian said softly, his tone surprisingly genuine for him.

"Forget it," Blaine said, "Let's go back to my place and hang out for a bit?" 

When they got back to Blaine's, they eventually settled on the couch. Blaine flipped through the channels on the television, but the only suitable film that he could find was Snow White. He left it on and just tried to relax. He was so hyper lately and things just weren't helping. Sebastian was amusing movie company, continuously making comments that made him snicker and smile. 

"I mean seriously," Sebastian said. "You don't take apples from strangers that look like they're out to poison you." 

"Shut up," he said sleepily. "It's a classic." 

Sebastian rolled his eyes and continued to watch like he'd never seen the damned movie before. He was painfully adorable and watching him have his second childhood was a perfect relief for all of the stress Blaine had been going through. It made him forget about Kurt, his dumb friends and the rest of the world. It made him hyper-focus on Sebastian but that was okay. It didn't matter that his friend was being abused, his boyfriend sucked and on and on .He had a good time. 

Sebastian fell asleep after the movie ended. Blaine didn't think it was for real until he heard the other boy snoring. He knew Sebastian was far too dignified to do something as un-sexy as snore on purpose. He breathed in and out with his snores, putting a smile on Blaine's face. He was so vulnerable and sweet and even if the deep heavy snores were unglamorous, he was still cute. He was so complex and Blaine knew that he needed to protect him.

Awhile after Sebastian fell asleep and Blaine realized his watching Sebastian was reaching Twilight levels of creepiness, he moved to leave. No sooner had he stood up then did Sebastian's entire posture tense. He made a small sound and grumbled. Blaine sat back down. 

Persuasive little thing Sebastian was, even in his sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Things with Kurt seemed to get more and more strained because of his duty to Sebastian. It all exploded in his face on Sebastian's third Saturday with Blaine. Kurt came over for a surprise visit, saw Sebastian's car and positively lost it. Blaine wasn't sure that he had ever seen Kurt so mad and he felt terrible. Kurt had every right to be mad, even if Blaine had not and would never cheat. "If you're cheating on me Blaine, then I need you to tell me right now," he said in a voice that could melt the strongest man around. Blaine felt like shit. "You barely talk to me and Sebastian is at your goddamned house…"

Blaine took a breath. He had no idea how to explain everything that he'd done. He hadn't cheated on Kurt, but that didn't mean that he was a good boyfriend or a good person. He actually sucked, badly. "I do apologize for being so distant Kurt," he said, knowing he hadn't been giving his all to their relationship by far. He had been an awful boyfriend to Kurt, period. "I'm not cheating though." 

"Then what the hell is it?" Kurt said snarling out the words. "Sebastian is at your house, isn't he?" 

"Yes, but-" 

"Sebastian is a bigger part of your life than I am, evidently, Blaine, but I don't understand why. All you can give me is vague answers about how you're helping him and I don't even want you near him. Why can't you respect that?" 

Just as Blaine was about to cry because of how terrible he felt, Sebastian stepped out the front door. He'd obviously been watching the confrontation through the front window of Blaine's house. "Kurt," he said, surprisingly softly. "I've been going through a lot of stuff at home and Blaine has let me stay at his house for awhile to take care of it. I promise there's nothing going on. As much as I wanted to snatch Blaine out of your feminine fingers, I no longer wish to. He's a good friend of mine and to be honest: romance and sex just kind of screw things up." 

"I-" 

Sebastian was evidently on a kick and not done talking. "Also, it's kind of bullshit that you don't trust Blaine when he's so amazing." Blaine's eyes widened at Sebastian's insistent tone. 

"I don't understand." 

Sebastian looked from Kurt to Blaine and then smiled. He looked as though he was finally shrugging off some heavy burden. "Look at this," he said, gesturing to his arm. The green cast it had initially been in had been downgraded to a brace, but the effect was still there. "This happened to me while I was at home. Blaine has been keeping me safe from it happening again. There, now you know sweetheart." He gave a small smile. Blaine wondered if he was completely sane. Sebastian had been dealing with a lot lately and was slipping into stranger and stranger moods. He seemed to be letting go of the burden of secrecy, but to Kurt? It was weird. 

Kurt left shortly after Sebastian's uncharacteristic outburst. Blaine was pretty sure that Sebastian was not only trying to relieve himself of the truth, but was also trying to disarm Kurt enough to make him leave. That had certainly done it. "Thanks…for the defense," Blaine muttered, walking back inside. Sebastian followed him, closing the door with his good arm. He didn't know what else to say. He didn't deserve a good defense or Sebastian making Kurt leave by revealing his secrets. He was a crappy boyfriend to Kurt and had been ignoring him. 

"It just kind of pissed me off," Sebastian said, shrugging his shoulders. "You're a good guy and to think that you could cheat…" 

"I'm not such a good guy," he said. He sighed a little bit. Not only had he been neglecting Kurt, but he was becoming so drawn to Sebastian. Everything that made Sebastian tick, it interested him. He wanted to know all he could about Sebastian. He wanted to be a part of Sebastian's life. He was honestly more incensed, more sparked by Sebastian than he had ever been to Kurt. He was just a crappy boyfriend and a terrible person. "I suck." 

He turned the corner and headed into his bedroom. He expected the footsteps that followed him but they still made him groan.

"What on earth is wrong?" 

He turned back to find himself looking at a Sebastian that was hardly the one he knew. This boy was so confused and concerned with him. "I've just been a really bad boyfriend to Kurt," he said honestly, shifting and running a hand through his hair. "I'm also…really, really drawn to you Sebastian. This is happening at a bad time; the same time that I'm growing apart from my boyfriend." 

Sebastian looked absolutely shocked. "There's no shame in that Blaine," he mumbled. "No shame. Uh, I'm gonna go for a second. I have homework to do. Thank you, for absolutely everything. Really. Thank you." 

Blaine was in a state of limbo for a couple of days after that. He came to the conclusion that he wanted to break up with Kurt, but didn't know how to do something like that. They had just gone from being completely in love to scheduling time in their day to make out. He still cared about Kurt but he and Kurt had less passion when they were intimate than when he and Sebastian spoke to each other about something as mundane as a freaking Disney movie. It just wasn't going to work out anymore and that sudden knowledge made Blaine feel weird.


	9. Chapter 9

Blaine was still broken up over his decision whether or not to break it off with Kurt by the end of the week. He and Kurt had barely spoken to each other since Kurt accused him of cheating and was embarrassed, anyway. He was hoping that Sebastian would be coming over for the weekend so that they could spend some time and maybe Blaine could ask for advice, but when he texted Sebastian to ask if he was coming he had gotten a two word response. 

"I can't." 

It unnerved him. He wasn't exactly sure why, because Sebastian had told Blaine that he didn't always go home for the weekend. He had places to go and people who gave him a place to stay when he wasn't hanging out at the Dalton dorms. Sebastian kept himself busy on the weekends doing god knows what. Blaine didn't have to be worried about him. Still, the fact that he asked Sebastian why he couldn't and got no response despite three texts asking the same thing didn't help. 

He texted Trent a little bit later to ask if he'd heard anything from Sebastian. The response absolutely broke him and made him panic in a way he never had before.   
"Seb went home early Friday. He said there was some family stuff going on." 

He called Sebastian several times, frantically, but got no response. He managed to get a couple of the Warblers to send him Sebastian's home address though. God, they were good snoops when they wanted to be. After debating it for awhile, Blaine decided to drive up to the house. It was a bit of a drive away but it would ease his mind to know that Sebastian wasn't being brutally hurt again. He needed to know that his friend was safe. 

When he arrived at the house, he couldn't help marvel over how gorgeous it was. It was tall and white, covered with plants and flowers that were neatly manicured by some lawn care person. It looked like something out of a fairy tale about rich people, or something. The sight filled Blaine with dread because while it looked so positively beautiful, Blaine knew that it housed a family that was very abusive to its son. Blaine knew that Sebastian wasn't safe there. 

A few moments after Blaine pulled up in front of it, the very boy he'd been worried about walked outside. "Blaine, what the hell are you doing here?" he asked, glancing from side to side as though he was terrified someone would notice Blaine there.

"You didn't respond to any of my texts or calls," Blaine said, unashamed to show Sebastian just how worried he was. "When I found out from Trent that you had gone home for the weekend early, I was freaked out." 

"It's not like I'm being killed just because I went home," Sebastian snapped defensively. He was too on edge, too nervous. Blaine hated it. "My dad just wanted to discuss some future college plans of mine. It's no big deal and I'm heading back to Dalton tomorrow." He saw the concern in Blaine's eyes and softened some. "It's okay Blaine. We'll talk tomorrow…" 

In that moment, a man walked out of the house. Blaine knew that it was Sebastian's father. He looked a lot like Sebastian, tall and with the same color hair and eyes but a much more solid build. "Sebastian, who is this?" he asked, with a voice that threatened Blaine. Blaine was terrified, knowing what the man had done to his son weeks earlier. 

Sebastian immediately jumped to the defensive. "Dad, this is my friend Blaine, from Dalton," he said smoothly, but with a shakiness that made Blaine aware of his fear. "I forgot that I had plans with him. It's okay though, because Blaine's really cool and says we can meet up again some other time. Let me just say goodbye to him and then we can finish our discussion." 

"That's just like you, isn't it? Irresponsible as always." Blaine stared in shock at the way the man was speaking to his son. It should have been no shock, given what he'd done, but didn't people like him always act kind on the outside. "He looks like another no good fairy boy, which doesn't quite surprise me either." 

"I'm sorry Dad," Sebastian said. Blaine had never imagined seeing the other boy look so demure and apologetic, like he was the one to do wrong when he wasn't. 

The man took Sebastian by the arm, walking away. He did, however, take time to shoot a glance at Blaine and tell him to "get off of the property." Blaine stood there frozen for a moment as the man just walked away. The pain in Sebastian's eyes would haunt him forever. Instinct told him to follow and he curved around the other side of the house. He couldn't see anything after the door slammed but he could hear things. He could hear yelling, or well, pieces of the yelling. 

"Bringing a slut into my home…how the hell did he even know where to find you?...What the fuck are you telling people?" 

He couldn't hear Sebastian's response to the words, but he did hear a crash and a cry. Then another crash and a cry. Panic filled his heart and his chest started to burn. He fished his cell phone out of his pocket and immediately dialed 911 on instinct. He didn't even think until the woman on the phone said, "911 what's your emergency?" He then had to find a way to open his mouth and actually speak, when his brain wasn't working. 

"Please, please. I'm at my friends house and I think his dad has beaten him. Please…bring someone." He gave her the address with frantic, shaking hands while she instructed him to remain at the scene, stay calm and not intervene. He felt frozen to the spot and when she finally hung up he had never felt so alone in his entire life. He was absolutely, positively alone.


	10. Chapter 10

Blaine waited terrified. He wasn't sure he'd ever felt so alone. He knew that Sebastian's father was hurting him right then and there, but he didn't have the courage to walk inside. He was such a coward. He closed his eyes and tried to do something, but even breathing seemed like a laborious effort. There was no way that he was going to be able to do anything to save Sebastian. God, were the cops ever going to come? The man could beat Sebastian to death by the time they got their stuff together to do something.  
When they finally arrived, he could barely speak to direct them. The two armed officers went in the direction he pointed, leaving him standing there like a useless lump of nothing. That was until he heard them enter. When he heard them enter the house, Blaine got the strength to move after them. He didn't even care that he'd barged in when he saw the scene that the cops were viewing. Sebastian was cowering low, crying and sporting fresh bruises. The cops immediately drew their guns on Sebastian's father. It didn't take any stretch of the imagination to know just what they walked in on. 

The police immediately went to the task of restraining Sebastian's father, who was staring at them with an expression that showed just how caught in the act he was. Blaine, however, had other business. He immediately gave Sebastian his hand, helping the boy to his feet and then pulling him into an ill-conceived hug that made the boy flinch violently. "I'm sorry," He whispered. "I'm so very sorry Sebastian." Sebastian, who looked like someone who'd never really hugged before, just fell against Blaine, crying silently. 

"This isn't happening…" Sebastian mumbled, eyes shut tight as if he were blocking the horrible situation with all of his strength.

Blaine used all of his strength to get Sebastian over to a stiff sofa, where he sat them both down, rubbing Sebastian's arm and whispering absolute nonsense for him to try and calm him down. He repeated several phrases over and over again. "You're safe…I'm here…it's safe…" over and over again until he couldn't say those words anymore. 

Sebastian just kept saying over and over again that he didn't know what to do or where to go. The police took away Sebastian's father and pretty soon turned on the traumatized boy with questions. Sebastian gave them all of his answers in a monotone voice, but to Blaine's surprise he was completely open and honest. It broke his heart to hear how emotionless Sebastian could be when he said, "he always hit me when I did something stupid. I always do stupid things." It was something that was robotic and cold and shouldn't have been. 

Afterward, the police asked Sebastian if he had any relatives they could contact. Sebastian gave them the name of some elderly aunt on his mother's side. Blaine told them calmly that Sebastian was getting close to being legal age and they nodded at that. They then asked if Sebastian had a place to stay overnight and Blaine immediately told them he did. It took hours but went by in the creepiest blur ever. Blaine was so overwhelmed. 

The next morning Blaine watched Sebastian sleep and debated over whether or not to go to school. He was pretty sure he was going to skip when Sebastian's eyelids fluttered and he looked at Blaine with a world weary expression. It seemed to take him a few moments to process the horrors that had occurred the night before and he looked around, strangled. "I swear Blaine," he said. "It's not like it happens that often. It's just things like unexpected visitors are a trigger and…"

Blaine took a step forward and kissed Sebastian on the cheek. It was gentle, chaste and friendly. It was a very sincere promise to do whatever it took to make sure that Sebastian was as safe as possible. "It's going to be okay, Sebastian," he said clearly. "I promise you that it's going to be absolutely alright." He felt braver than ever. 

Sebastian looked a little embarrassed by Blaine being there, staring into his eyes. "Don't you have to go to school?" Sebastian asked, looking a little frazzled. When Blaine 

hesitated to answer, Sebastian knew the truth and added, "Please go, Blaine. I need some time alone to just relax and wrap my head around all of this. I promise that I'll still be here when you get home." 

Blaine opened his mouth to object but Sebastian's stern look stopped him dead in his tracks. "Alright," he said. 

When he got to school he instantly began to regret the choice. He looked and felt positively exhausted and his head hurt. The other students and his teachers knew something was wrong and kept asking questions. Considering the fact that he broke it off with Kurt, everyone was also treating him like a terrible, rude pariah. He had done the right thing and now he was paying for it with a social life that was either lacking or awkward. He couldn't take it under the pressure. 

He got in trouble halfway through school for not paying attention and decided to do something that Blaine Anderson had never done before. He ditched after lunch. He came home to find Sebastian curled up into a ball at the end of his bed, eyes shut. He seemed far too tense to be sleeping but at the same time seemed to be suffering through some kind of waking nightmare. "Sebastian," he said harshly. "Sebastian!"


	11. Chapter 11

Sebastian's aunt listened as he told her about the abuses that he had been enduring at the hands of his father. She seemed slightly cold and formal, but at the same time shocked and scandalized by the fact that her nephew had been abused. "Well, I am perfectly financial of taking care of your things until you're eighteen," she said, nodding formally, "and I'm pretty sure that your uncle, who is a lawyer, can make sure that you get a substantial fund to start out on your own after the fact. I am very sorry that my brother-in-law hurt you, Sebastian." 

Sebastian turned towards Blaine and looked at her like she was a robot. "Oh, um, I guess that'd work out…" he said awkwardly. "I know that he'll probably get out of jail, given what he's capable of with his … power and all, but I don't want to have to go back there. I've been staying with Blaine here an awful lot so I wouldn't be in the way." Sebastian didn't sound very much like Sebastian, sputtering through his words. 

"That would be perfectly fine. I'll talk to the police now." 

Sebastian watched the woman as she walked off and tilted his head to the side. "I think that my aunt is a robot," he quipped. "Honestly, I don't remember her much. I don't think I've seen her since I was a child, but seriously, I think that she's at least partially robot." 

"That may be true," Blaine said. He put a hand on Sebastian's shoulder, watching as Sebastian winced as he touched a particularly dark bruise. "Sorry. But at least she seems really capable of making sure that you have all of the financial care and stuff." 

Sebastian nodded and sighed, walking out of the police station and onto the grass outside. He sat down and Blaine joined him. Blaine watched as Sebastian laid back and looked into his eyes. "You know, I never thought that I'd actually get out of that house until I was eighteen and had stashed away enough money under my freaking bed to get away." Sebastian chuckled at his own words. "You, Blaine Anderson, changed that of course. There has never been any doubt in my mind that there is something amazing about you."

"I'm just me," Blaine said, picking at the grass idly. 

"You saved me." 

"Not really," Blaine said. "I just saw you in that horrible, horrible situation and did what I could to keep you safe. It just is what it is." 

"Let's go for a walk," Sebastian said, hoisting himself up and then shaking the grass off of his back. "There's a park that adjoins the city civic center and I'm pretty sure that my robot aunt doesn't want to talk to me anymore than she absolutely has to." He smiled and then started to walk. Blaine followed on fast feet, trying to keep up with him. It was interesting seeing this side of Sebastian. It was like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. 

It made Blaine wonder just how much of the arrogant, dangerously cocky Sebastian Smythe had been a product of his abuse. He could still sense the wit and the sharp tongue that made him so attracted to Sebastian in the first place, but at the same time he was a lot calmer, a lot softer. Blaine liked both of the sides of Sebastian, the dangerously sharp side and the smoothed out rough edge. He really liked who Sebastian was a lot. "I always thought my parents would change eventually," Sebastian said as they walked, his voice startling Blaine.

"You did?" Blaine asked softly. That was a really sad thought, that somehow Sebastian was always holding out for the day that his parents would turn around and suddenly be good people. It was obvious that he had been waiting for years for something that was never going to happen. 

"Sure," Sebastian mumbled, smiling sadly. "There were always little moments when I did something admirable, something that my father said was good. Those were the moments that I imagined the next time I screwed up I wouldn't be met with a blow to the head. Thought I gave up hope when I was about fifteen or sixteen years old, but I guess that never really changes, does it?" 

"What do you think's going to happen to your parents?" Blaine asked Sebastian curiously. 

"I think my father is going to use his power as state's attorney to get himself out of jail quickly," he said. "I think that if any media gets involved or asks then I'm going to be painted as a sick, sad child who was desperate enough for attention to feign abuse. I think that my father will get away with what he did to me one way or another." 

That was pretty much the harshest statement that Blaine had ever heard in his entire life. He couldn't believe that Sebastian was talking so casually about the man who physically and mentally abused him getting off scott-free. "I…"

"It's best if you don't think too hard on it Blaine," Sebastian said softly. He was grim but he still looked as though the weight had been lifted off of him. "I'm going to be eighteen soon. Hopefully my aunt will be able to get my father to stay far away from me. Chances are she'll end up blackmailing or bribing him into paying me a good sum of money. I think it'll take him longer to get officially out of hot water before I'm officially eighteen anyway." 

"So?"

"The abusive jackass may get off without a single charge against him," Sebastian filled in, confirming Blaine's fears, "but the kid that's been his punching bag for years isn't anymore because of this little curly haired midget who came around and saved him." 

"How'd you know I have curly hair?" Blaine said, pouting as they reached a man-made lake and sat down beside it. 

"Excuse me, captain hair product," Sebastian said. "Plus Jeff showed me a picture once. So hot." 

"I should have never let him get me drunk," Blaine mumbled, shaking his head sadly at the memory. "And if we want to talk about hair product, have you seen his…" 

He was cut off by Sebastian's lips pressing against his. The kiss was light. There was no immediate demand behind it and it was nothing like he imagined kissing Sebastian would be. His lips were soft and he let them linger, cupping a hand around Blaine's neck. "Sorry," Sebastian whispered as their lips parted. "I know that you're not too long off your breakup with Kurt. I just wanted to see how it would feel to do that." 

Blaine didn't know what to say, so when he took a deep breath and recomposed himself he asked, "How did it feel?" 

"Awesome." Sebastian then looked down and Blaine was sure he saw him blush. That softer side was deep in there, waiting to be etched out of the hard marble.


	12. Chapter 12

When they got back to Blaine's house, both Blaine and Sebastian plopped down side by side on the sofa in the middle of the room. For a long moment, all that either boy could do was just stare in silence. It was amazing, they were happy and relieved and they were together. It was just a nice moment and Blaine didn't blame Sebastian for wanting to absolutely relish in it. When Sebastian smiled, he had to admit that his heart sped up a little bit. The other boy had a stunning smile, especially when it was utterly genuine.   
Sebastian broke the silence by laughing. His laugh, too, was very genuine and did some strange things to Blaine's heart. "This is weird," he said honestly, looking down and then back up into Blaine's eyes. 

"You have an adorable laugh," Blaine said, blushing a little as he said it. Sure, he had no filter from his brain to his mouth, but at least that worked for him most of the time. Sebastian's eyes lit up and he blushed a little at the compliment, so evidently Blaine was doing something right.

Sebastian shook his head. "You know, I would never let anyone else get away with calling any part of me adorable, Anderson," he said with a pout. Blaine resisted the urge to tell Sebastian that he shouldn't be resistant to being called adorable with that look on his face. 

"Well I'm glad to be an exception to that rule," Blaine muttered awkwardly, unable to not smile.

"You're an exception to all of the rules," Sebastian said, finally breaking away from the gaze that held steadily between the two of them. He ran ah and through his hair and shook his head from side to side. "I have…my head is absolutely spinning, Blaine. I never thought that this would just be over, that I'd be suddenly free from all of that. It doesn't make any sense at all, but at the same time it's perfect…I'm free of all of that and it's for real." 

Blaine couldn't help himself. The joy on Sebastian's face, coupled with the confusion and fear led to him kissing the other teenager again. It was a light brush of their lips, followed by a firmer, more confident kiss. Blaine had never kissed someone in the way that he kissed Sebastian. It made so much more sense than even kissing Kurt had. It was like they fit together. When they pulled away, Sebastian echoed the sentiments that were going through Blaine's head out loud.

"I have never kissed anyone like this… This isn't like any kiss that I've ever experienced." 

"Why is that?" Blaine asked, wanting to hear the words from Sebastian, wondering if they'd be the same as his own. 

"I don't know," Sebastian whispered. "I mean I do know – it's real. There's no sexual expectation behind it, it's genuinely real and I don't even know how to…deal with it. Blaine. I don't know why but I just want to keep kissing you again and again. I like- I never want to stop kissing you." 

"Hey, I can get sexual," Blaine joked, leaning forward and kissing Sebastian with a bit more intensity, but it was just playful. He snorted because it was so cheesy and out of place. He felt Sebastian smirk into the kiss, one hand on Blaine's cheek. He was glad that he made him smile. 

"Don't worry Anderson," he said with a slight smirk. "You'll still have plenty of time to resume your role as sex-on-a-stick in my world. Right now I just want to enjoy everything that's going on." 

"Really?" 

"Really." Sebastian blushed, he actually blushed, and stared into Blaine's eyes for a long moment. "You know, I really want to explore what's going on between us if you do. I know that old habits die hard and I might not be too good at the romance thing, but would you be at least willing to try?" 

"I am more than willing," he assured Sebastian. "I want to go slow because of Kurt…I don't want this to be a rebound in any way, shape or form, but I really…really like exploring."

"I hope I don't disappoint," Sebastian said and Blaine saw his old cockiness. It was definitely still a part of who he was. Sebastian Smythe had by no means become docile. "You are so incredibly classy and adorable." He shook his head from side to side, as if in disbelief.

"Always have and always will be." 

"You know, because of my family, I never really wanted to get close to a boy," Sebastian said with a cheeky grin. "Now that they're not going to be an issue, getting close to a really attractive, classy and adorable guy is a real possibility. I like that realm of possibility, Blaine. I like it a lot." 

"Good," Blaine teased. "It's time for new beginnings, Sebastian Smythe."

Sebastian leaned down and pressed his lips to Blaine's in a long, sweet kiss. It really was time for new beginnings and exploring and it was all because he'd chosen to be on Sebastian's side when he needed him the most.


End file.
